Historical Postcards

A small collection of postcards provides a flavor of Seattle's charm during the early years of the 20th Century. The bulk of these cards were collected as part of the Don Sherwood Parks History Collection. This exhibit showcases 19 images from the collection.

Seattle Parks

Title: Umbrella Seat, Kinnear Park, SeattleDate: 1909Publisher: No. 524. Hopf Bros., Importers. Seattle, Wash. Made in Germany.Text on reverse: Kinnear Park is the only Seattle Park which overlooks Puget Sound. The grounds are beautifully kept. The Umbrella seat is made of Cedar bark.

Title: Kinnear Park, SeattleDate: circa 1920s

Title: Japanese Pagoda Lantern in Mt. Baker Park, Seattle, Wash.Date: 1938Publisher: Leland Lund, Tacoma, Wash.Text: A gift from Kojiro Matsukatu of Kobe Japan.Note: The donor's name should be Matsukata.

Title: Seattle by Night - Second Avenue and the 42 Story Smith TowerDate: 1930Publisher: C.T. Johnston Co., Seattle, U.S.A.Text: This great building with 600 offices with exterior trim of bronze and interior of steel, finished to resemble highly grained mahogany. Besides possessing every convenience required in the business day, has a Chinese Room adjoining and opening onto the observation balcony. This magnificent room is highly decorated in heavy and finely carved Chinese Teakwood, wrought by native workmen, embellished with myriads of porcelain panels in varying designs, replicas of more gorgeous, visited each year by thousands who are afforded a beautiful vista of Seattle, the bay and lakes and the snow capped mountain ranges, with Mount Rainier and Mount Baker in the distance.

Title: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop - Most Unique Shop in the WorldDate: 1922Publisher: TB, Cambridge, Mass.Text: Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Colman Dock, Seattle, is the only real Curiosity Shop today in the U.S. --Geo. G. Heye, Founder of The Museum of the American Indian, New York City, 1922.